Means of working blast heaters used in connection with blast furnaces



un 7 1927. 1,631,950 J e H. RAPPOLD MEANS OF WORKING BLAST HEATERS USED IN CONNECTION WITH BLAST FURNACES Filed April 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l rigure'i June 7 1927.

H. RAPPOLD MEANS OF WORKING BLAST HEATERS USED IN CONNECTION WITH BLAST FURNACES Filed April. 6, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN narrow, or DUREN, nssronon To zmunnumn a .uuwsmr,

ensnnnscm'r urr mason-manna aurora, or 1011mm, mmmnn, ann- MANY.

MEAN S 01' WORKING BLAST HEATERS USED IN CONNECTION WITH BLAST FURNACES.

Application filed April 8, '1925, Serial No. 732, and in Germany Kay 22, 1924.

The blast to be blown into blast furnaces is heated to arather high temperature for saving fuel. For this purpose, generally, a series of apparatus is used for one blast fur- 5 nace, in such a way that part of said apparatus is heated by internal combustion of gas to a high temperature while the other part delivers its own heat absorbed during the preceding working (heating) period to the blast blown-in and thus heats the latter.

Thus, with each single apparatus it is the question of two separate working periods, namely the heating period (hereinafter briefly called: gas) and the blowing period (hereinafter briefly called blast).

For the reversal of one apparatus from gas to blast, or vice versa, a plurality of shut-off devices are provided and adapted to control the heating gas, the combustion air, the cold blast, the hot blast, and so on.

The hitherto known method of working the blast heaters suffers from the drawback that by an incorrect attendance to the shutoff devices a faulty connection is possible which results in a considerable danger for the whole plant and for the attending persons. For instance, the gas and cold blast could be simultaneously connected with one apparatus whereby explosions might occur. Furthermore, the gas could be opened and the combustion air shut off in which case the gas cannot be ignited. owing to lack of air and fills the apparatus so thatat the admission of air explosions would take place in the apparatus and in the flue. Other faulty connections are possible which however need not be further described.

The present invention relates to an improved means of working blast heaters, by which faulty connections are made impossible, said means consisting essentially in operating the shut-oil devices of one apparatus, by positively interconnecting the same, always in their correct succession only required for a proper working of the heater.

Supposing that the shut-01f devices be designated by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and operated in the written succession for reversing from gas to blast, consequently, the positive interconnection of the single shut-ofl devices results, when reversing vice versa from blast to gas, in the operation of the shut-ofl devices taking place in reverse direction from 5 to 1.

The manner in which the positive interconnection of theshut-oif devices is attained is immaterial as long as, when building the plant, the correct succession in one direction of'connection required for working the blast heater, is maintained, the correct succession in the otherdirection of connection resulting therefrom-per se.

The energy required for reversing the series of shut-oil devices may be derived from any appropriate source: either hand power, or mechanical power, or electrical power, or hydraulic or pneumatic (compressed-air) power,being possible; and, if desired, said power source can be applied from any distant place or places.

The accompanying drawings illustrate in Figs. 1 and 2 diagrams of a preferred arrangement for putting the invention into practice, in two different ositions of its parts, the power employed therewith being a pressure-medium, such as compressed-air or pressure-water.

The arrangement comprises five shut-off devices, namely: for gas admission 1, supply of combustion-air 2, waste-gas exhaust 3,

cold-blast admission 4, hot-blast escape 5.

The operating means comprise four twoplunger cylinders 1, 2, 3", 4, each located intermediate two adjacent 'shut-ofi' devices, while a four-way cock 1) serves as main operating contrivance, which can also be replaced by an operating cylinder similar to those 14".

All said operating means can be simultaneously reversed by a lever system 2 attached to the plunger-rods of the two-plunger cylinders and to the four-way cock respectively.

.The operating means comprise further five one-plunger cylinders 1, 2 3 4 5 of which each one is directly connected by its plunger-rod with the movable shut-off member of one shut-oil device.

All the c linders are in communication witheach 0t er and with the four-way cock by means of a. pipe system for the pressure medium in a manner hereinafter described.

Supposing that the operating means are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the pressure-medium arriving at :v flows in the diin connection rection of arrows first through the four-way cocl: Z) and the pipe 1 to theone-plunger cylinder 1 where it forces the plunger 1 outwards until it arrives at its dotted end position, thereby closing the shut-oil device 1. This being completed, the plunger 1 liberates the path to the pipe 1 for the pressure-medium. The latter flows through the pipe 1, the rear chamber of the two-plunger cylinder 1 and the pipe 2 to the one-plunger cylinder 2 of the shut-0H device 2. There, the plunger *2 is pressed outwards into its dotted end position and, while closing the shut-oft device 2, liberates the path for the pressure-medium to the pipe 2, the rear chamber of the two two-plunger cylinders 2, the pipe 3 and the one-plunger cylinder 3", where the same proceeding takes place as in the two first one-plunger cylinders. In a similar way, the successive operation of the following shut-ofi' devices 4 and 5 takes place, the direction of movement of the latter being however opposite to that of the three first shut-ofl' devices, that means, the devices 4 and 5 are successively opened after the device 3 is closed, this depending upon the working conditions of the heater. Uponthe device 5 being opened, the total operation in one direct-ion is finished.

The exhaust of the pressure-medium of each single one-plunger cylinder 1"5 flows during the operation through the pipes 1 2 3 4, 5" and through the middle chamhers of the two-plunger cylinders 14 (see outer connection-pipe 7c of same) and the four-way cock b respectively into the open air.

The dot-and-dash line pipes 1, 2, 3, 4

are not used for the above-described operation, the same leading therefore from the one-plunger cylinders into the neutral closed fore chambers oi the two-plunger cylinders. As shown in Fig. 2. by reversing the lever system 2, the operation takes lace in reverse succession, namely: shutting-oft first hot-blast (at 5), then cold-blast (at 4), and opening first wastegas at 3), then combustion-air (at 2), and finally gas (at 1).

The position of the operating means as well as the direction of arrows shows that the pressure-medium arriving at w flows through the tour-way cock b and pi e 5 to the one-plunger cylinder 5 and orces the plunger 5* into the dotted end position thereby closing the shut-oif device 5. This operation being completed, the path is free for the pressure-medium to flow through pipe 4 (not used in the former operation atom-described), the fore chamber of the two-plunger cylinder 4 and pipe 4 to the one-plunger cylinder 4, where the same proceeding takes place as at 5. In a similar way, the pressureanedium flows each time after completed operation of one shutotl' device to the one-plunger cylinder of the next following shut-oft device, until finally shut-oil device 1 is opened.

In this case, the exhaust of the pressuremedium from the one-plunger cylinders flows through the pipes 5 4 and through the middle chambers of the two-plunger cylinders 4-1 (see outer connection-pipe k of same) and the four-way cock 6 respectively into the open air.

In this case. further, the dot-and-dash line pipes 41 (like 1-4 in the former case) device 4, which is to open but slowly. to suit the working conditions of the blast heater. For this purpose, in the pipe 4, which when opening the shut-oil device 4 serves as outlet pipe (Fig. 1), a throttling member Z is inserted and adapted to throttle the crosssection of said outlet pipe in such a way that the pressure-medium can escape and thus the p ungcr 4 can advance but slowly. As, however, the same pipe 4 serves in Fig. 2 also as admission pipe for the pressuremedium, a bye-conduit with a non-return valve m therein is placed around the throttling member Z. Sad non-return valve permits of the pressure-medium flowing around the throttling member Z if the pipe pipe 4 serves as admission pipe (Fig. 2) whereas it compels the same to flow through the throttling member Z if the pipe 4 serves as outlet pipe (Fig. 1).

What I claim, is:

1. An arrangement for automatically and positively operating the shut-oil devices of blast heaters for blast furnaces by a pressure-medium always in their correct succession only required for a proper working of the heater: comprising, in combination with said shut-off devices, a series of two-plunger cylinders, each one located intermediate two adjacent shut-off devices, a main operating contrivance, a lever system in connection with said cylinders and with said main operating contrivance and adapted to simultaneously reverse the operative position of the same, a series of one-plunger cylinders, each one connected by its plunger-rod directly with one shut-oil device, and a pipe system for the pressure-medium so connected with all said cylinders and with said main operating contrivance that only at the completion of the operation of one shut-ofi de vice the next following one is operated, and $0 011.

2. In an arrangement as specified in claim system and adapted to permit the opening 1 1: means for oiwening one of said shut-off of said shut-oil devices but slowly, a byedevices but slow y. conduit placed around said throttlin mem- In an arrangement as specified in claim her, and e non-return valve in sald bye- 5 1: a throttling member located in said pipe conduit.

system and adapted to permit the opening In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 of said shut-01f devices but slowly. my hand.

4. In an arrangement asspecified in claim 1: a throttling member located in said pipe HERMANN RAPPOLD. 

